Next phase of coyote study rolls out this week in Broomfield open spaces

NEW STEPS IN coyote STUDY: A walker uses a trail that runs through The Field open space. The open space is one of three areas in which researchers could ask residents to haze coyotes to see how it impacts the animals behavior. (David R. Jennings / Broomfield Enterprise)

• Secure trash in a container with a locking lid and put the trash out on the morning of the scheduled pick-up.

• Never feed coyotes.

• If you meet a coyote, make it feel unwelcome by yelling, throwing rocks and sticks at it, stamping your feet, spraying it with a hose or banging pots and pans.

• Make yourself appear to be big and use a loud authoritative voice to keep coyotes away.

For more information about coyotes and Broomfield's coexistence policy and its next phase of the coyote study, visit broomfield.org and click "Open Space and Trails."

The Metro Area Coyote Behavior Study, in which Broomfield has been a participant for the past two years, is asking for more resident participation for the next phase of the study.

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Using cameras, informational signs and help from Broomfield residents, the next phase of the study aims to gather data that can help researchers better understand how hazing affects coyotes' behavior.

One part of the study asks residents in select study areas to take part in "community based" hazing, meaning they will be asked to actively haze the animals by shouting, using noise makers or waving their arms to scare the coyotes off while in specific open space areas.

Hazing aims to scare coyotes, using non-lethal means, to keep the animals away from humans and to avoid confrontations.

"We know that hazing can be effective, but not enough people do it, so its effectiveness seems limited," said Stewart Breck of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Wildlife Research Center. Breck is helping lead the long-term study.

The new phase of the study started on Tuesday, when researchers posted out informational signs in selected areas. The areas include The Field open space, a greenbelt area near the Broadlands and Aspen Creek neighborhoods and the greenbelt behind the recreation center in Anthem, according to Broomfield Open Space and Trails coordinator Pete Dunlaevy. Residents who walk dogs, bike or run through those open space areas likely will see the signs explaining the research, and the signs will ask residents to contact researchers if they see a coyote.

Researchers will later put out additional signs with specific instructions for hazing — but not all of the research areas will get hazing instruction signs.

Researchers want to compare human and coyote interactions in areas where no special instruction was given, versus areas where signs directed residents to engage in hazing techniques.

Researchers and Broomfield staff selected several areas in Broomfield where coyotes are often seen near humans and in residential areas along public trails and open space.

Along their walks or runs, residents also might run into strolling researchers, who will ask questions about their experiences with coyotes.

The areas also will be filmed with mounted cameras to get visuals of coyote behavior.

"The main objective is to observe humans and coyotes and (reduce) human-coyote conflict," Dunlaevy said.

The new phase of the ongoing study is led by the National Wildlife Research Center and is supported by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, along with Broomfield, Lakewood, Aurora and Jefferson County.

Broomfield is the first city to undergo this next step in the study, which could take six to eight weeks.

Results from the research likely won't be available for four or five months, Breck said.

The hazing work will take place before young coyotes are born in the spring, so hazing will not impact adult coyotes with their young, according to a news release issued last month by Broomfield.

The study previously has involved putting GPS tracking collars on coyotes to better understand their movements, behaviors and territories.

Now, the study focuses on how humans and coyotes actually interact, and aims to determine the most effective ways for humans and coyotes to co-exist in the future.

Human-coyote and coyote-pet interactions are a sensitive subject in Broomfield. Broomfield got more involved in research and response to coyotes after three attacks on children in the Anthem area in 2011. None of the children were seriously injured and in response to the attacks, nine coyotes were killed in the Anthem area in 2011.

Pet attacks also are not out of the ordinary. Since 2009, there have been 22 nonlethal attacks on unattended pets and 30 unattended pets have died from coyote attacks, according to city statistics.

According to Broomfield Open Space, which tracks coyote interactions, there were 14 coyote interactions in 2013.

Of the 14 incidents, seven included coyotes who injured unattended pets. The other seven incidents involved unattended pets who were killed by coyotes, according to Open Space and Trails manager Kristan Pritz.

The pets included 12 small dogs and two cats, she said.

There were no reports of human-coyote confrontations in 2013, and there have been no reports of confrontations between dogs and coyotes when owners are supervising their pets, according to the report.

Broomfield Open Space and Trails urges residents to bring pets inside at night, even if the yard has a fence.

"Leaving dogs unattended is a concern," Pritz said in a March interview, after the majority of the 2013 coyote/pet conflicts took place. "It appears coyotes might see dogs as a food source" or a threat to coyote's territory, she said.

Pritz said the best approach to living with coyotes is education and coexistence.

The city has a coexistence policy that recognizes that coyotes live in the area. It asks residents to help establish clear boundaries between humans and coyotes that can prevent attacks or unwanted confrontations.

Coyotes are found all along the Front Range in many metro-area cities.

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